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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. scale — in music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bound — tied together
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. hand — help
  19. bound — certain
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. hand — in cards
  22. band — a ring
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com